Jones: Doing ‘right thing’ overrides party politics

Partisanship was never a stumbling block for state Rep. Sam Jones when working with his local colleague in the Senate, state Sen. Bret Allain said Wednesday.

Jones, D-Franklin, and Allain, R-Franklin, spoke Wednesday during the St. Mary Chamber of Commerce Legislative Wrap-Up at the Petroleum Club of Morgan City. Rep. Beryl Amedee, R-Houma, was unable to attend the event.

The regular legislative session that ended June 6 was Jones’ final one as a state representative. Jones is term-limited and will finish his third term at the end of the year. Jones recognized his legislative aide Shelia Jones for her “Herculean, super effort” helping him for the past 12 years.

Jones’ time as a public servant spans 47 years, including many years as mayor of the city of Franklin. As a representative, he’s brought back about $600 million to St. Mary and St. Martin parishes.

Allain, who’s nearing the end of his second term as senator, first got to know Jones well eight or nine years ago. Though the two legislators are from opposite parties and don’t always agree philosophically, they always worked together to try to do what’s best for their constituents, Allain said.

“When it came to St. Mary Parish, when it came to our district, there was no separation between us,” Allain said. “I really couldn’t think of a better partner.”

Jones commended Allain, saying he couldn’t have accomplished what he did without Allain.

“When we talk about our working relationship, we always throw in there that we’re not in the same party,” Jones said. “I don’t know how much that matters if you’re just trying to do the right thing.”

Allain credited Jones with pushing to ensure Teche Regional Medical Center in Morgan City remains in operation and bringing the matter to the attention of Gov. John Bel Edwards. Officials are now close to finalizing an agreement for Ochsner Health System to become the hospital’s new operator.

Most of the two-month regular legislative session was spent discussing the state budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year that begins July 1.

On the infrastructure front, state officials are set to do $750 million in road and bridge improvements throughout Louisiana through BP oil spill settlement money the Legislature agreed to bond. Of those funds, $150 million is dedicated to work on I-49 South and another $150 million for La. 1.

The Legislature approved a slight increase in funding for higher education in the coming year, which will start taking care of insurance and retirement issues among other needs. The funding is especially important for Nicholls State University, Allain said.

TOPS, the state’s popular college scholarship program for residents, will be fully funded for the next six years “if the revenue streams are not messed with,” Jones said.

One of the most debated issues in the session was funding of teacher pay raises. Legislators eventually decided to provide $1,000 raises for teachers and $500 raises for support staff, Allain said.

Legislators were able to get capital outlay money to help solve the town of Baldwin’s water system problems and to build a welding school at the Port of West St. Mary, Allain said.

Senators fought hard to secure an additional $20 million to pay for early childhood education up to kindergarten and assistance to parents to be able to get their children to school, Allain said.

More funds are also coming to Louisiana’s councils on aging and the foster care system to allow people to stay in the system until 21 years old, he said.